At a glance

Cycle from the UNESCO town of Matera along an idyllic coastline to Lecce

Nestled between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, lies the captivating region of Puglia, also known as the 'Heel of the Italy’s boot'. For centuries this stretch of land has been the gateway to the East and has been home to numerous civilizations, including Greeks, Romans, Spanish and Turks, who have left a deep mark in the architecture, food and local dialects. Our journey starts in the fascinating city of Matera, famous for its cave-and-stone Sassi houses, inhabited since the Prehistoric times. We leave behind this rocky and arid land and cycle towards the picture-postcard town of Alberobello, in the heart of the flourishing Itria Valley. Scattered across green rolling hills and dry-stone walls, funny-looking Trulli houses still stand after 5,000 years and millions of ancient olive trees stretch as far as the eye can see. The remainder of the journey takes us to the Salentinian Peninsula, a favourite among Italians for its idyllic coastline, crystal clear water and charming towns. From the white hilltop town of Ostuni, overlooking the Adriatic, we cycle to Gallipoli, floating on a limestone island in the Ionian Sea, and, riding past olive groves and limestone cliffs, we reach Lecce, a beautiful Baroque city, known as the Florence of the South.

Cycling profile

Daily distance in km/miles:

Day 2

70.0km/43.5miles

Day 3

45.0km/28.0miles

Day 4

56.0km/34.8miles

Day 5

65.0km/40.4miles

Day 6

73.0km/45.4miles

Day 7

50.0km/31.1miles

Number of days cycling: 6

Pace: Moderate: 13-16km/8-10miles an hour

Terrain: Low altitude; 99% tarmac, 1% gravel path

Itinerary

Show detailed itinerary

1Day 1Start Matera.

Start Matera. We recommend arriving a day early and exploring at your own pace this fascinating town, or book a guided excursion.See more images and videos

2Day 2Ride past the historic 'Sassi' houses of Matera before heading to Alberobello.

On leaving Matera we pedal through what makes this town so special. For millenia, inhabitants of this region have carved dwelling directly into ravines and gullies made of tuff (or tufa), a characteristic honey-colored soft stone. These houses are called 'Sassi' and are as today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago. Heading towards Alberobello, we pass the famous fairy-tale trulli houses that have also made the historic centre of this town a recognised UNESCO world heritage site.

3Day 3Cycle through the lush Valle d'Itria, past the picturesque fairytale trulli houses to the hilltop-town of Ostuni.

We cycle through the lush Valle d'Itria and one of the prettiest cultural landscapes of the south past more trulli houses to the picturesque hilltop village of Ostuni. Along the way we pass the famous wine town of Locorotondo, one of the most beautiful towns in the province of Bari. After sampling some of the local wine, the route heads to the white city of Ostuni, famous for the dazzling effect of its whitewashed houses.

4Day 4Ride through quaint villages and country lanes to a typical Masseria - a renovated farmhouse - where we spend the night.

We continue pedalling through tranquil country lanes to the charming town of Francavilla Fontana and on to Oria, a popular destination among Apulians for a day trip, famous for its 13th Century's Castle and delightful historic centre, characterised by cobbled streets, whitewashed walls and beautiful architecture. We continue through the countryside to a Masseria, a typical Apulian converted farmhouse and our accommodation for the night. En route we have the opportunity to taste the famous primitivo wine, which is produced in the area (optional).See more images and videos

5Day 5Cycle to the coast and swim in the crystal clear sea before continuing towards Gallipoli with its old town situated on a rocky island.

From the Masseria we cycle towards the Ionian coast and the beautiful town of Gallipolli, known as the 'Ionian Pearl' with its old town situated on a rocky island and offering fantastic views both from the north and the south. The town itself has many churches, narrow alleys and was the largest exporter of lamp oil made from olives in the 17th and 18th centuries. Weather permitting, today there are plenty of opportunity for swimming in the crystal-clear Ionian sea.

6Day 6Follow stunning stretch of coastline leading to the ancient town of Otranto.

Our route continues along the south of the peninsula and the impressive stretch of coastline leading to the ancient Messapian town of Otranto. The old town is surrounded by a mighty wall containing the impressive Hapsburger Castle. En route to Otranto there is the opportunity to visit the famous Grotta Zinzulusa, the only coastal grotto that is open to the public and also the thermal baths of Santa Cesarea Terme.See more images and videos

7Day 7Continue along the shoreline to the beautiful Baroque city of Lecce.

We follow the shoreline through innumerable olive groves to the Baroque metropolis of Lecce. A relaxing way to end the week is at the beach of Torre dell'Orso surrounded by limestone cliffs and with many ancient caves to discover. The final destination is Lecce, the capital of Salento, and as well as being home to over 30 churches and countless palaces, there is an ampitheatre and Roman theatre dating back to Emperor Augustus.See more images and videos

8Day 8End Lecce.

End Lecce. We recommend to spend an extra day in Lecce to soak up the atmosphere of this elegant city, home to outstanding architecture.See more images and videos

Your images

Guided Group

This is a small group guided holiday. The group is usually between 4 and 16 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level

You are moderately fit and possess a spirit of adventure. Some previous experience is required for most activity based trips.

What's included

What's included

All breakfasts

All accommodation (see below)

All transport and listed activities

Tour leader throughout

Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

What's not included

Travel insurance

Bike hire (available locally from GBP70 paid on booking)

Single accommodation (available on request from GBP200)

Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation details

Charming hotels

We use a mix of comfortable 3 and 4-star hotels and renovated traditional buildings. Most hotels are high quality and have been selected for their location, comfort and character representing the characteristic Apullian architecture. We also spend one night in a typical Masseria (a traditional converted farmhouse) surrounded by olive groves. All rooms are en suite and some hotels have a swimming pool.

Essential info

Vaccinations and Visa
No visa required for British passport holders.
Please note in Italy it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times. Holiday style

This trip is classified Road, Activity Level: 3/Moderate
6 days cycling, average 60 km/day (37 miles)
Terrain and route: 99% tarmac, with a couple of very short sections of gravel
Most of the cycling is along flat to hilly tarmac roads (mainly traffic-free), with a few gentle ascents and descents along the way, so a reasonable level of fitness is required. Road conditions are generally good, but tarmac may be pot-holed in places. Please see the introductory pages of the cycling brochure or our website for more important information on classification and grading. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to call us.

Eating & drinking

7 breakfasts are included and consist of a continental-style buffet. However, please note that the typical Italian breakfast served in the hotels is just a cup of coffee and a cream-filled or jam-filled croissant.

In Puglia you will find genuine regional cooking that has strong links to the land and the sea. To give you just a small list of the types of food on offer in Puglia: Bread from the Murge, durum wheat pasta, olives, the pasta delicacy Orecchiette served with a sauce of turnip-tops or fresh tomato and sheep's ricotta-cheese, Cavatelli with pulses, aubergine and parmesan bake, grilled fish and seafood, burrata (soft mozzarella and cream cheese), plus excellent wines. This region is a food lovers paradise!

Trip notes

Download the detailed trip notes for everything you could possibly want
to know about this trip, including detailed itinerary and full kit list.

Weather & seasonality

The Puglia region of Southern Italy enjoys a wonderful Mediterranean climate with all year round sunshine and just enough rainfall to ensure that the green is never too far off. Although Puglia covers a large area it is long and narrow, never more than 30km across means that you're never far from the sea which has a moderating effect on the weather.

Lovely part of Italy, attractive towns and villages, relatively easy cycling and wonderful food and wine - what's not to like?

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Would describe as highlights rather than inspirational:-
Matera - quite stunning and well worth the additional day we added - good advice from Exodus
Alberobello - touristy but photogenic and pretty and a great opportunity to stay in a trullo - wonderful!
The Masseria was also a beautiful setting - lovely accommodation, great food and wine, lovely pool a great place to relax.

What did you think of your group leader?

Not a natural guide but Sara was very keen to ensure we had a good trip and worked extremely hard to achieve that - with very little help from her colleagues. She did a good job.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take Exodus' advice and spend an extra day in Matera - well worth the visit
This isn't a challenging ride so if you enjoy a relaxed cycle trip in a beautiful part of Italy with time to relax and explore each of the places you visit then this is a perfect holiday.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We knew very little about this part of Italy before our visit but it's a hidden gem. Would certainly recommend a trip there - and cycling through vineyards, olive groves, past the trulli houses, eating gelati and the freshest local fruit was delightful.
Accommodation generally better than expected especially first 3 nights.
Bikes awful - in this day and age am sure it's possible to provide better quality bikes - sadly similar to other parts of Italy I've visited.

Lovely part of Italy, attractive towns and villages, relatively easy cycling and wonderful food and wine - what's not to like?

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Would describe as highlights rather than inspirational:-
Matera - quite stunning and well worth the additional day we added - good advice from Exodus
Alberobello - touristy but photogenic and pretty and a great opportunity to stay in a trullo - wonderful!
The Masseria was also a beautiful setting - lovely accommodation, great food and wine, lovely pool a great place to relax.

What did you think of your group leader?

Not a natural guide but Sara was very keen to ensure we had a good trip and worked extremely hard to achieve that - with very little help from her colleagues. She did a good job.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take Exodus' advice and spend an extra day in Matera - well worth the visit
This isn't a challenging ride so if you enjoy a relaxed cycle trip in a beautiful part of Italy with time to relax and explore each of the places you visit then this is a perfect holiday.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We knew very little about this part of Italy before our visit but it's a hidden gem. Would certainly recommend a trip there - and cycling through vineyards, olive groves, past the trulli houses, eating gelati and the freshest local fruit was delightful.
Accommodation generally better than expected especially first 3 nights.
Bikes awful - in this day and age am sure it's possible to provide better quality bikes - sadly similar to other parts of Italy I've visited.

At the tender age of 40(ish), Mike is already an Exodus old-timer. Joining Exodus in 1995, with 5 years as a tour leader where he specialised in the Himalayas and Latin America, Mike finally hung up his trekking boots after 2 years in the Pyrenees running trekking, biking and snowshoeing trips. Back in the office Mike developed our Winter Activities programme before moving into operations. As Operations Director, Mike's mission is now to 'make Health and Safety interesting' (good luck Mike) while maintaining Exodus' spirit of adventure!

Questions about your trip

Pick your question

Exodus staff - expertise on hand to help

All the staff at Exodus share a passion for adventure travel, and are always happy to answer any questions you may have. You can find an expert for the area you are interested in here and can contact them to get further information. If you don't see your specific country listed, please email customerops@exodus.co.uk and they will get the answers you need!

How do I join the Departure Lounge (forum) in the Exodus Community?

To view the Forums, including the Departure Lounge, you do not need to be member of the Exodus Community, simply click on the Community link at the top of every page and read the posts in their respective sections by entering the Departure Lounge, or one of the other options in the list on the page.

To join in a discussion, if already a member, please sign in to your Exodus website account (not related to booking reservations) to contribute to the Forum. If you are not a member of the Exodus Community, you can register by clicking the 'Sign in' at the top of every webpage and select ‘Register’ within the drop down panel.

When viewing the Forum area of the website, as you scroll through the 'Rooms' which are set out by 'travel months' during the current year within the Departure Lounge. You can then select the 'month' of intended travel, then filter the list of trips that have already been created by fellow travellers to see if your trip is listed. If the trip you are travelling on is not in the list, you can start the process by clicking on the 'Post new forum topic' link above the list on the same page. If you do see your trip within the list, select it to view the 'discussion' by your fellow travellers and you can join in by completing the 'Post your comment' section below the discussion thread.

Please note: there might be slight a delay before your post/comment appears as intended because we moderate what is published on the website.

We hope you enjoy using the Departure Lounge to meet your fellow travellers and continue to contribute right up to the start of your journey with Exodus.

You recently looked at

From the social networks

Exodus Travels
Have you herd the news?
Our International Sales Manager and photography enthusiast Andrew Appleyard is just back from the Masai Mara where ... The news from the Mara plains is that the migration has arrived and our International Sales Manager has captured some superb photos of the action... The Great Migration Through a Lens1 day 7 hours ago.

Responsible travel

We realise that every holiday destination is also
someone else's home and that we should leave places as we found them. Find out
more about how we incorporate
responsible travel into our adventure and activity holidays, and how you
can help by donating to one of our
responsible travel projects